Why I Abandoned the Airbnb at 2am

It started with a smell. In this episode, Judith shares the full story of abandoning a vomit-soaked London Airbnb at 2am — and what hauling a giant suitcase into a perfumed hotel in the middle of the night taught her about the year she was actually having. This is the episode that introduces the 2026 theme: Misadventures.

In This Episode:

• The Airbnb from hell — feet, cheese, mold, a cracked window, and a ceiling that finally gave way

• Why we stay too long in things that clearly aren't working — sunk cost, pride, and not wanting to admit we were wrong

• How to let the year tell you what kind of year it is instead of forcing a theme onto January

• Why naming what's actually happening is the first move toward shaping what you want

• The difference between resisting reality and acknowledging it — with humor and levity

Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It: Ask yourself what the year is already telling you. What have you been tolerating too long? What is your proverbial vomit-filled hallway? You don't have to know where the hotel is yet — you just have to admit the smell is no longer acceptable.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Welcome & Introduction

• 0:09 The London Airbnb Horror Story

• 2:53 Why Did We Stay So Long? (Sunk Cost & Pride)

• 4:01 Rethinking the "Word of the Year" Approach

• 4:44 Letting the Year Tell You Its Theme

• 5:50 Introducing the Theme: Misadventure

• 6:38 Invitation: Name the Year You're Actually Having

• 7:09 Your Mission: What Are You Tolerating?

• 7:46 What's Coming Next on the Podcast & Substack

• 9:19 Closing & Call to Action

Connect: Instagram @judithgaton | Substack for weekly essays